The Lake
by VamphigherQueen
Summary: A lake, a strange tree, a grassy hill. Where is this place? Is it just a dream? An odd friendship between a friendless little girl and a loner half demon grows as the two spend time in this place. How did they end up there? What's beyond that lake?
1. Seven

**I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.**

Enjoy, review. And thank you for reading my other fics xoxo

-VQ

_**Edit: I'm such a dillhole. I forgot about the spacing when I uploaded them so I'm going back and editing each chap before I get too far in and people start burning me alive D: It'll be much easier to read now if you intend to reread or are reading for the first time :)**_

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><p>It was early morning. Dawn had just cracked as the sun was slowly rising. Atop a small grassy hill, underneath a big tree hovering a mysterious shallow lake that extended as far as the eye could see, there was a little girl. She was seven years old with long black hair tied back with a white scarf, big brown eyes and a blue dress. The little girl was sad and alone, crying and holding her knee. She had scraped it and was in a lot of pain. Suddenly, someone jumped out of the tree. He was dressed in a red sweat suit and a blue baseball cap. He had white hair and amber eyes. He looked like he was at least 11 and she thought he was an angel.<p>

'This girl. Who is she? And…I smell blood…Is she injured?' he thought to himself.

She stared at him in awe as he silently approached her, took the scarf out her hair and wrapped it around her knee. He then proceeded to wipe away her tears and she noticed his clawed hands. She grabbed his hand and held it to her cheek. Something in her heart told her he was going to leave her by herself on that hill. She stared into his amber eyes with her glossy brown ones. Kindness met weakness as they studied each other.

"Don't go," she pleaded, with a sniffle, about to cry again. He didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't tell her 'no', especially after her eyes pierced into his soul like that. It was as though as much as she needed him there, he needed to be with her.

"Okay. I'll stay with you for a bit." he replied softly. Her eyes glowed with happiness and she gave him a bright smile. It was like the clouds breaking away to let the sun shine after a thunderstorm. She was a fascinating girl.

"Stay here for a second." He ordered as he jumped back into the tree. Her eyes followed as he leaped and she stared into the big tree above her head. She was amazed he could jump so high. She wasn't certain if he was an angel, but she knew he wasn't human and she didn't care at all. The boy jumped back down with two apples.

"The best ones are at the top of the tree." He told her as he handed her one.

"Thank you" She said sweetly and bit into the apple. It was sweet and juicy. This was the only place she could ever taste such a good apple. She figured this place was heaven. The two ate in silence while watching the sun shine on the lake. The girl stared on wondering what was on the other side of that lake. It didn't look like anything was there at all.

"My name is Kagome," She said, breaking the silence.

"I'm Inuyasha," he said in a dull voice.

"Inuyasha" The way his name rolled off her tongue made his heart skip a beat.

"…Do you have friends? I don't. People always make fun of me cause I'm clumsy. Do you like candy? My mom says I eat too much candy. Do you know what's on the other side of that lake?"

"No. Kind of. I dunno," he said trying to answer all the girl's questions. She was really talkative but he didn't mind. Kagome stared at him for a few moments. Inuyasha felt her looking at him and stared back. She then scooted very close to him.

"You have no friends either? You're just like me. We can be friends forever if you want." Part of Inuyasha didn't want to be phased by the girl but her kindness warmed his heart. She pulled a red button off her sock.

"Here!" she said while handing him the button. "I didn't like these socks. The girls at school say I'm weird for wearing socks with buttons on them. But now I like them cuz they will remind me of you."

He held the little button in his hand and stared at it. "Promise you'll keep the button till the end of time?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure why not?" he replied as he put the button in his pocket.

"Hey..." he began "how'd you end up here anyway? Aren't your parents looking for you?"

Kagome stared at him blankly unable to respond. "Kagome? Kagome?" his voice faded out as her mother's voice faded in.

"Kagome wake up! It's time for school!" Kagome slowly opened her eyes and realized it was only a dream.

She was very disappointed that the nice boy was only make-believe. She sat up on the edge of her bed stretching and dangling her feet. She looked down and noticed the button on her left sock was missing.

'It wasn't a dream. Couldn't have been.'


	2. Nine

It was late at night. The stars were scattered across the sky and the moon was full, shining on the lake, making it glow white in the center. Kagome was sleeping against the tree. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a gasp. She knew where she was but wasn't sure how she got there. She looked around and sitting at the edge of the lake was Inuyasha. She stood up and slowly walked towards him. He turned around and was shocked to see her. A slow breeze blew in from the east making Kagome's hair flow as the light from the moon gave her a supernatural radiance as she continued to slowly walk towards him. Inuyasha's back faced the moon's light as it shined on his hair and it glowed like his amber eyes. The two looked on at one another and something had clicked between them. It was as though the answers to everything lied in the other person's eyes. They had the connection of two people who had known each other for possibly a decade.

"It's you! Haven't seen you in a while." He said with a smirk. Kagome smiled back and ran up to him and hugged him.

"Inuyasha! I haven't seen you in so long." She cried out. He stiffened at the hug, but he was glad to see her as well. He returned her hug as she cried on his shoulder. She lifted up her head to look at him and noticed he wasn't wearing his hat. Her attention was immediately drawn to his wiggling dog ears.

"I knew you weren't a regular boy!" She said, while grabbing them.

"Hey don't touch em!" Inuyasha shouted as he pulled away from her. She let out a giggle and fell back on the grass.

"I'm surprised you're not afraid of me. People usually run away when they see my ears. That's why I try to be by myself all the time. You're right. I'm not human. I'm a half demon. Not accepted by humans, not accepted by demons. You're actually the only person I've seen in years. I'm used to being alone."

Kagome was saddened by her friend's story and felt guilty that she hadn't been able to see him for so long.

"I kept your button." He said while reaching into his pocket.

"See?" He held it in his hand. She looked at him and smiled, causing him to smile in turn. Suddenly, her smile turned into a frown and she slowly walked off.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"Are you real?" She blurted out.

The look on his face changed from content to bewildered. "Are YOU real?"

"Of course I'm real!" She responded confidently."Last time I was here, it was a dream. My mommy woke me up."

Inuyasha let out a chuckle. "You sure it was a dream?"

Kagome bit her lip and looked down at herself. She had on a white shirt, pink skirt and the same socks with buttons on them. One button was missing: the one Inuyasha held onto. "I wear these socks to bed a lot. I noticed the button was missing the morning when I woke up. I figured if I wore them to sleep I'd see you when I went to bed. It took two years for me to get back here."

'She really wanted to see me?' He thought.

She grabbed his hand and brought him under the tree with her and sat down. He sat next to her as she stared at him.

"Today is my birthday." She said. "The kids in school threw water balloons at me and no one except my mommy and my baby brother and grandpa wished me happy birthday. I'm 9 today." She told him sadly.

Inuyasha reached into his pocket and pulled out a seashell. "I've had this since I was 9. You can have it. Happy Birthday, Kagome." He smiled as he put the shell into her hand.

"Thank you, Inuyasha!" She said cheerfully. He simply nodded and looked off at the lake.

"When's your birthday? I wanna remember it so I can give you a gift." He was silent for a moment while continuing to look off into the lake.

"Tomorrow. But you probably won't be here." Kagome felt guilty that she wouldn't be there to celebrate her friend's birthday with him.

"I'm sorry. Happy early birthday!" She tried to sound happy, but still felt sad that her friend would be all alone on his birthday.

"It's okay. At least you're here today. It's not a big deal anyway." She sat quiet and looked at the moon. Inuyasha slouched back against the tree and sighed.

"Last time I was here was the day before my birthday. Maybe next time I come back will be on your birthday!" Inuyasha was surprised by the fact that someone could be so excited about his birthday.

"Maybe." He replied in a low voice. He was a bit pessimistic about things. 'What if she never comes back? I don't wanna get too attached to a friend that I'll never see again. I'm not gonna get my hopes up.' He thought to himself.

"What have you been up to since I last saw you?" Kagome asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.

"Nothing. I've been here, like I always have. I don't really do much. I sit by the lake, I climb this tree, and I eat some fruit and go to sleep. I'm so used to it that being by myself hasn't bothered me." He said pathetically.

"But you like spending time with me, right?"

"Well…Yeah." He meant it. There was something special about being with Kagome that felt like home.

"What about you? What were you up to?" He asked her.

"Not much. I'm in the third grade. I start fourth grade soon. The kids still tease me, but thinking about you makes me happy. Even though I can't see you, it's like you're always there. I can always feel your presence. I could never forget about you. Even being with you now. It doesn't feel like it's been two years since I last saw you." She looked up at him and smiled as he blushed and looked away.

"Um…How come you don't live with your mommy and daddy?" Inuyasha sat silent for a few minutes and Kagome thought she upset him. She started to get worried that he was mad at her.

"My father died when I was still a baby and my mother died when I was a little younger than you." He finally said.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Kagome said sadly. She knew she upset him. 'he probably hates me now.' She thought.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." He said in a low voice. She looked up at the tree they were under and began to feel sad for him.

"My daddy died when I was little. I still miss him." They continued to sit under the tree for a while in content silence.

"You know…" Kagome began and Inuyasha looked in her direction. "We should go somewhere else the next time I come back to see you. You're always in this one spot. Wouldn't change be nice?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes."I'm not much for change. No offense. I'm just more comfortable staying here."

"I bet you'll leave this place one day! I just know it!" Kagome shouted.

"Why would I wanna leave here? So I can scare people?"

"You're not scary!" She assured him. "Maybe…maybe people just think you're weird. People think I'm weird. That's why no one sits near me or talks to me in school. I fall down all the time and I wear socks with buttons and I don't like pizza. The girls call me strange and the boys call me ugly. At least you can stay here and be away from everyone."

Inuyasha looked on as tears began to fall from her eyes. 'Weird? She looks like an ordinary girl to me. She's pretty too.' Inuyasha got close to her and wiped the tears from her face.

"I don't think you're weird. I also think…you're pretty. Don't let what they say get to you. They're probably just jealous." He smiled and poked her nose like a button causing her to giggle.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. You're my best friend in the whole wide world. I wish I didn't have to see you when I go to sleep and I wish it wasn't every two years."

"Yeah me too."

"Hey Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever feel…feel like we've always known each other? Maybe in our past lives or something?"

"Keh. Past lives, huh? Never thought of it that way."

Kagome began drifting to sleep on her best friend's shoulder only to be woken up by the buzzing sound of her alarm and the realization that she was back in her own bed. She felt disappointed and sad but her frown was quickly turned around when she noticed the seashell in her hand. She put it in her desk drawer.

'One day, I'll see you outside my dreams. See you in two years, Inuyasha.'

_Two years passed_

_Four years_

_And then six._

_She had never seen Inuyasha in all that time. All she had was her memories and the seashell. Would she ever see him again? How many more nights can she go to bed and face disappointment? Will she be able to move past the boy by the lake?_


	3. Fourteen

Kagome, her brother Sota and her mother were getting ready to move about 20 minutes from her old house to live in her grandfather's shrine. He was getting on in his years and needed help around the place. Kagome was excited to live in a bigger house. She put the seashell around her neck that she has turned into a necklace and looked out the window of her now empty childhood room.

"Inuyasha, I'm almost fifteen and I still miss you. So much has changed. I hope I get to see you again some day." Kagome began thinking about her birthday. 'Stupid birthday. I don't want it to ever come.' Kagome hated her birthday, the day before and the day after. She hated all of those days because she was unable to see Inuyasha on any of them like she used to and the fact that she wasn't going to see him always ruined those days for her.

"Kagome!" Her mother shouted from downstairs. "Come on! Get in the car! It's time to go!"

"Coming!" She shouted back and ran down the steps of the old house and got into the car, ready to live at the Higurashi shrine.

Kagome was a 14 going on 15 year old middle school student. She had grown to be very beautiful and had many friends. While she didn't have a boyfriend, she had quite a few suitors that she ignored. She felt a deep void in her heart that caused her to be too distracted from seeing anyone. She focused on school, family, friends and Inuyasha. He was all she could think about. She felt guilty, like she had abandoned him all these years. Then part of her felt a bit crazy because of the situation. He was basically a loner half demon she could only see in her dreams in a strange place that she wasn't sure was even part of the earth. She never told a single soul about him but he was one of the most important things in her life. Even though she had only seen him twice, she felt deeply connected to him and his friendship helped her get through hard times when she was little.

'I wonder if he still has that button' she wondered to herself during the car ride. Being so deep in thought, the car ride felt like it was only a minute long.

"We're here!" Her mother said excitedly. Sota had gotten out first and ran to their grandfather who was standing at the steps of the shrine waiting for them. Kagome slowly got out the car and looked around the area. It was peaceful, with just a few houses around. She had been to the shrine to visit her grandpa plenty of times but living with him made things different. They all went up the stairs to the shrine and into the house.

"Kagome, the room upstairs at the end of the hall to the right is yours." Her grandfather said with a big smile on his face. She knew he was glad he didn't have to live there all alone. Kagome went into the room and noticed it was bigger than her old room. Her new furniture was already in there and she was so happy with everything. The movers had brought in their things before they got there so she spent most of the day putting away her clothes. While putting all her stuff in the closet, she came across her old socks, the ones with the buttons. She looked at the sock with the missing button and began to tear up.

"Inuyasha…"

She didn't want anyone asking her why she was upset so she decided to wipe her tears and go outside for some air. She went downstairs and put on the fakest happy smile she could.

"I'm going out to look around the area. I want to get used to this place since it's my neighborhood."

Kagome's mother nodded. "Okay don't come back too late."

Kagome rushed out the door and down the steps of the shrine trying to stop herself from crying again. She walked around aimlessly for about an hour, taking a left, right, passing a dog, waving at one of her grandfather's friends on the street, cutting through the park, stopping at a store for a drink…all before coming to a dead end. There were two abandoned and broken down houses across from each other and a stone wall on the side of them. The area gave her a very strange feeling but it was a nice spot to be alone. She crouched down against the wall and began playing with her seashell, thinking about Inuyasha. After a few moments in the area, she began to hear noises on the other side of the wall and wanted to know what they were. She jumped up as high as she could to no avail. Except on her third try, she saw something familiar: That tree from her dreams.

"I'd recognize that tree anywhere!" Her heart was beating out of her chest and she was overwhelmed with excitement. There wasn't anything in the world that could bring Kagome down at that moment.

"I still can't believe this is a _real _place! How am I gonna get over this wall?" She pondered, pacing back and forth.

Getting over that wall was the most important thing in the world. She would have gone mad if she couldn't get over that wall. Her mind was only set on one thing:

"I have to get over this wall."

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><p>Aww yeaaa what's better than a cliffhanger? :] Totally did this on purpose *hides under my desk* Just keep on reading and reviewing and I will keep on updating! ;)<p>

-VQ


	4. Stone Wall

She searched the nearby area for something, anything to help her get up there. There was nothing to climb on and the wall was at least 15 feet high. After about 10 minutes of plotting, she began to get very flustered.

"Wait…I have an idea. INUYASHA!" She called out his name.

"INUYASHA ARE YOU THERE?" She shouted loudly.

She could hear someone's footsteps coming towards the other side of the wall. She practically stopped breathing when an angry, yet familiar voice on the other side of the wall spoke.

"Who the fuck are you? How do you know my name?"

She froze. All of those dreams weren't dreams at all. She had never been so happy before today.

"That's no way to greet someone" she said jokingly. "It's me! Kagome. Inuyasha is that really you over there?"

Inuyasha felt like his heart had stopped. He wasn't sure what was going on but he could never forget Kagome. He jumped onto the edge of the wall and stared at the girl down below. She was so beautiful, nothing like the little girl he had seen in the past. Now she was an extraordinary young woman and he couldn't be happier to see her again after so long. Kagome stared up at Inuyasha, his white hair, and amber eyes. The boy she thought was an angel when she was a child. He stood before her outside a dream and she felt overcome with joy.

"Inuyasha! It IS you!" She screamed excitedly while jumping up and down. He laughed at how excited she was and jumped down to her.

"Get on my back." He told her while turning around.

She didn't hesitate and held onto him as he easily jumped back over the wall. She wasn't surprised because she already knew he wasn't human. Once they landed on the other side he set her down and turned to look at her. She stared at him, still in shock that she was able to see him again after six long years.

She studied him, noticing how he had grown and got a bit more muscular since she'd last seen him, but he was still the same boy to her. She also noticed how cute he was. No human boy could compare to him and he made her nervous.

He studied her too. Same old big brown eyes, long flowing hair with a young adult woman's body to match. She was gorgeous and he felt a bit intimidated to be around her.

She tackle hugged him and he fell to the ground as she landed on top of him. She wasn't even phased by the compromising position they were in because she was too happy to see him. She held him tightly and cried into the white tee shirt he had on.

"Inuyasha mmm mmm hmm hmm mmm" He stared at Kagome in confusion not understanding a word she had just said. Her words were muffled because her face was still in his shirt. He sat up and held her close to him as she sat in his lap.

"Inuyasha…I missed you so much. I'm so sorry about your birthday. I hope you can forgive me. I tried so hard to come back that day. I wore those stupid socks and I even had a gift for you." Her eyes began tearing and Inuyasha wiped the tears away as he had always done.

"I'm not mad at you. I wasn't sure how often you'd be able to come back. I couldn't be mad at you. I know you tried, I believe you. "

She looked up at him with hazy eyes, just as she did when they first met. That same feeling came over him, like she was looking into his soul, as if she'd known him better than he knew himself. He knew he needed to be with her. She smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her and noticed the seashell around her neck. He grasped it and smiled as Kagome looked up at him.

"I turned it into a necklace. I wear it all the time. Not a single day has gone by that I didn't think about you."

He stared into her eyes and saw the passion. He was touched by how much this girl cared about him. "I thought about you too; All the time. Wondering if you were okay, if you fell and hurt yourself or if those mean kids were still messing with you. I was concerned."

"I made it through grade school just fine, Inuyasha." She laughed "Once I got to the fifth grade, no one really made fun of me anymore. A lot has changed about me since I last saw you."

"I can see that. You're all grown up now."

"I guess." She blushed furiously. "I'll be 15 next week."

She smiled brightly and squeezed him again. "I can't believe I actually found you! Outside my dreams too!"

"I've been wondering how you found me. I thought you were dreaming again."

Kagome shook her head. "Do you know of a shrine not too far from here?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"I live there. Well I just moved in today with my grandpa, my mom and my brother, Sota. I ended up here when I was walking around trying to clear my head. I was…crying."

Inuyasha looked at her, worriedly. "What happened? Why were you crying?"

"Because I missed you!" She shouted. "Seeing you was the main thing I looked forward to for most of my childhood! I couldn't take any more disappointment. Thinking I'd never see you again."

Inuyasha was confused about why a girl could care about him so much. He wasn't much company for her the two times they had seen each other. And he didn't feel like he could relate to her because they were so different but they connected on another level. They shared a connection that was deeper than words and far beyond understanding. Kagome slowly stood up and looked around the area. Nothing had changed since the last time she was there. That little spot was as beautiful as ever. Kagome pulled Inuyasha up by his arms.

"I wanna go up in the tree with you." She said, pointing to a high branch. He put her on his back and jumped into the tree. She squealed in excitement as they ascended so far up. He gently let her down and the two sat on a branch together. She reached above her head and took down one of the apples. She bit it and stuffed it in his mouth.

"I didn't want it. The taste just brought back old memories." Inuyasha took the apple out his mouth and smiled at Kagome. He wasn't used to being happy, but he couldn't deny the fact that he loved the feeling.

"So what have you been up to the past few years, Inuyasha? Anything new?"

Inuyasha nodded. "I decided to leave here a few times after the last time I saw you."

Kagome giggled. "I knew you would leave here! Did you have fun?"

"I sat on a few rooftops at night. It was cool."

"Wow. We should do that sometime. I can see you whenever I want now so we can hang out all the time!"

"Keh! You must bore easily. You've only been here three times and you already wanna go somewhere else."

"Hey!" She shouted at him "I thought we were best friends forever! We're supposed to see the world together!"

Inuyasha let out a sigh as he leaned up against the tree. "Yeah, I guess. So what is it you wanna see so badly?"

Kagome shrugged and bit her lip. "I don't know. Everything. Inuyasha wouldn't you like to go on an adventure?"

Inuyasha stared at her. "I don't care. I'm just fine with sitting right here."

Kagome slapped her forehead. 'He's so stubborn!' "You know what? I don't care either. I'm just glad to be with you."

His face turned pink and he quickly looked away. "Yeah, whatever ya don't have to get all mushy about it."

"…So our birthdays are next week! We have to celebrate. How old will you be?"

"16" He replied. "…In human years."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "In human years? Uh…how old are you exactly?"

"246. Does that…bother you?"

Kagome's jaw dropped again. "Well…not really. I know you're half human and I suppose your human side is only a little older than me…right? Is that how it works?"

"I guess you can put it that way."

Kagome clapped her hands in excitement. "We should have a party at my house!"

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy. "_Why_ would we do that?"

"Why not? You can come over any time, you know."

'She wants me at her house?' He looked at her like she had two heads. "Y-you sure you want me to come to your house? I mean…" he pointed at his ears as they began to wiggle.

"Aww!" Kagome cooed. "Let me touch them again!" Inuyasha gave her a cold look before bending his head down to let her touch his ears. Kagome grasped his ears and rubbed them, making him purr a bit. She gasped at his dog instincts. 'How cute!' She gently let his ears go and hugged him.

"You're so sweet!"

He stiffened and gently pushed her off. "Cut that out! I'm a powerful half demon!" He crossed his arms and looked away.

"Right! Sorry!" She giggled. "Hey, let's get out of this tree. I want to watch the sun set." Inuyasha quickly grabbed Kagome and jumped off the branch. He set her down on the grass and leaned up against the tree. Kagome yawned and lied down in the grass.

"Inuyasha I have to go home soon." She said sadly. Inuyasha felt disappointed like he was going to lose his best friend again.

"When will I see you again?" He asked as she sat up.

"Well, I have school tomorrow and I need to stay behind and study with a few friends from class. How about the day after tomorrow?"

"You promise?"

Kagome nodded. "You're gonna come pick me up, right?"

Inuyasha sighed. He wasn't very comfortable leaving that spot but he'd do anything for Kagome. "Yeah. You want me to take you home now?"

Kagome nodded and stood up. "Uh huh. I don't want my mom to worry."

Inuyasha knelt down in front of her. "Well, what are you waiting for?" She got on his back and he leapt back over the stone wall.

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><p>"Inuyasha what the heck are you doing!" Kagome shouted as Inuyasha sped through the city leaping from rooftop to rooftop.<p>

"Taking you home, isn't it obvious?"

"We're gonna fall!" She shrieked in horror as he continued to jump.

"What are you so worried about? You shouldn't even be scared."

Kagome closed her eyes. "Are you crazy? Why shouldn't I be scared when we're like 100 feet off the ground?"

"Well if you're scared it means you don't trust me to protect you. I wouldn't let you fall, stupid!"

Kagome slowly eased up and opened her eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that she could trust Inuyasha, so she decided to relax and try to enjoy the ride.

"You're right. This isn't so bad."

"Keh! See?"

Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck and nestled her head in his shoulder. His heart started beating out of his chest and he felt the warmth from Kagome's touch. She was all he had and he'd do anything to protect her and keep her happy.

They finally reached the steps of the shrine and Kagome hopped off Inuyasha's back.

"Thank you for taking me home"

"Don't mention it. Bye Kagome." He turned to leave and she grabbed his hand.

"No! Not goodbye. See you later." She smiled and Inuyasha smiled back. Suddenly, before he knew it, Kagome rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so happy, Inuyasha. I was so miserable all those years I couldn't see you. I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Kagome…" He returned her hug and felt his heart pounding again. 'What is this that she makes me feel?' He thought as he slowly released her from the hug.

Kagome waved at him and ascended the steps as he watched her walk away. Kagome turned around and looked back at him again. He waved at her and she smiled brightly. Her strides turned into joyful skips as the best day of her life had come to a close. Inuyasha leapt away satisfied that he'd never have to be alone again.

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><p>I wasn't exactly going for accuracy with the age thing lol it's the least important concept in my story so... :P<p>

anywho...thanks for adding the story to your faves and alerts and reviewing :) xo

-VQ


	5. Saturday

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Kagome was just waking up with a major headache.

"Ugh. If it's possible to get a hangover from studying too hard, then I've got one. My head is throbbing!"

The sun shining in through the window wasn't doing her any justice and she felt like the room was spinning. She reluctantly sat up and stretched her arms with a yawn. At that moment, a knocking sound on the window startled Kagome. She slowly approached the window, only to see a familiar face on the other side. Her headache suddenly disappeared and she quickly opened the window. Inuyasha was crouched on her windowsill staring at the half sleep girl before him.

"You never cease to amaze me, you know. I figured you'd knock on the door at least." She said while laughing. "Come in."

Inuyasha stepped into her room and looked around. Everything was girly, pink and purple with stuffed animals and posters everywhere. It made him slightly nauseous, but he wasn't one to judge; to each it's own. The only thing he liked about her room was that it was filled with her scent, which was unlike anything in the world. He sat on the floor as Kagome went through her closet looking for something to put on. She pulled out a pink shirt and dark blue jeans and held the two up to herself.

"What do you think? Should I wear this today?"

Inuyasha blinked a few times and stared at her blankly. "I don't know. Yes? It's nice."

Kagome scrunched up her face in anger. "Figures you wouldn't care. You're a boy."

"Tch. It's not even that. I'm just saying wear whatever you want. You look fine in what you have on now."

"Inuyasha these are pajamas." She said flatly.

"And?"

"I can't wear these outside!" She continued rummaging through her closet; ignoring Inuyasha's rambling telling her "It's not important" and "Just hurry up." Kagome pulled out a white dress with a rose on it that reached her knees and held it up to herself.

"How about this?"

"Kagome? Listen. I don't. Give. A. Damn." He responded.

Kagome let out a sigh. "It would be nice if you'd just give me some honest feedback."

"That was honest! What do you want from me? You want me to tell you those jeans would look nice on your legs or that dress would make you look pretty?"

Kagome's cheeks flushed red. "Is…is that the truth?"

Inuyasha's cheeks flushed red as well when he realized what he'd just blurted out. "W-well I don't want you to think I'm a pervert like I've been looking at your legs or somethin."

Kagome put the dress on her desk slowly walked up to Inuyasha, kneeled in front of him and pushed his nose like a button like he did to her all those years ago. They chuckled together and looked in each other's eyes. Inuyasha saw himself in her eyes and Kagome saw herself in his eyes. The two were so deeply connected, neither of them understood it but they were happy having each other in their lives. They felt so comfortable and free around one another, no one could ever take the other's place. Inuyasha brushed a strand of Kagome's hair off her face as she blushed and looked down. The moment between them became awkward and Kagome stood up and picked up her dress.

"I'm going to go get ready. Wait outside for me, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded and leapt out her window.

Kagome had taken a shower, put on her dress and white shoes, brushed her hair, grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. She was greeted by a smile from her mother in the Kitchen.

"Good morning, Kagome. I'm making breakfast. Have a seat." Kagome was tempted to stay for her mother's home cooking but didn't want to keep Inuyasha waiting.

"Sorry, mom. My friend is waiting for me outside."

Her mother stared at her with an intrigued look. "Oh? Why don't you invite your friend inside?"

"Uh…" Kagome laughed nervously. "Well uh…He's really shy."

Her mother waved her hand. "Nonsense. Tell him to come on inside."

Kagome sighed and went outside to get Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat when he saw Kagome step out of her house in that dress. She was the most important and beautiful person to him and in that moment she shined brighter than a thousand suns. She happily walked up to him and playfully spun around in her dress.

"What do you think?"

"I think you took forever. Come on let's get a move on." He responded.

Kagome rolled her eyes and ignored his answer. "My mom wants to meet you."

Inuyasha froze. He didn't know what to do in that moment. "What for?"

Kagome grabbed his hand and dragged her towards his house. "Just come on. If you want to keep your hat on, then keep it on."

Inuyasha felt so nervous and wanted to pull away but if Kagome thought it was okay, all he could do is trust her. She slid her door open and brought Inuyasha inside.

"Mom, this is Inuyasha."

Her mother slowly walked up to the nervous boy and studied him. "How handsome! Welcome to our home, dear. Have a seat and breakfast will be ready soon."

Inuyasha just smiled and nodded, following Kagome to the table where Sota and her grandfather sat.

"Sota, Grandpa this is my friend Inuyasha."

"Hi Inuyasha!" Sota said with a big smile.

"Welcome!" Her grandfather said kindly.

He felt warm and accepted in her home. He sat down at the table next to Kagome.

"Hey Inuyasha, are you Kagome's boyfriend? She's mean and yells all the time so good luck!" Sota rambled on.

Kagome growled, clenched her fist and reached across the table to attack Sota who quickly ran away laughing. Inuyasha looked down trying to ignore everything that just happened. Soon after the awkwardness occurred, Kagome's mother came in and saved the moment with a wonderful breakfast of steamed rice, omelets, and pickled vegetables. Everyone began to eat their fill and Inuyasha sat quietly amongst the others, still feeling a bit uneasy.

"How's the food Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"It's good." He said as he turned to Kagome's mother. "Thank you."

Kagome's mother smiled happily. "Don't worry about it, dear."

Everyone had finished their food and Kagome took hers and Inuyasha's dishes to the sink to wash them. Sota had run outside to play and Kagome's grandfather went to the storehouse.

"Don't worry about the dishes, Kagome. You and Inuyasha have a wonderful day. Make sure you're not back too late."

Kagome cleaned her hands and picked up her purse. "Thanks, mom. See you later."

"Thank you again, Ms. Higurashi."

"Have a good day. It was a pleasure meeting you, Inuyasha." She bowed.

Inuyasha smiled at Kagome's mother as Kagome pulled him out the door.

"Where are we going?" He asked her as they were walking down the steps of the shrine.

"Back to our usual spot, I suppose. I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Things."

"What kind of things?"

"I wanna know more about you, Inuyasha. I want to know everything."

Inuyasha sighed. 'Here it comes.' He thought as he pulled Kagome onto his back and leapt away towards the lake. He was glad Kagome couldn't see the smile on his face when he thought about how she called the lake their spot. It was just another sweet reminder that he wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

><p>Once they got over the stone wall, Kagome slid off Inuyasha's back and walked towards the lake. Inuyasha walked behind her as she stopped at the shore. She took a small sheet out of her purse and put it on the ground to sit on. Inuyasha sat next to her looking off at the lake on the beautiful mid morning.<p>

"Inuyasha…" she began. "Where did you live before you started staying here?"

Inuyasha sat silently and Kagome looked up to see if he was paying attention.

"Over there." He said, pointing to the other side of the lake.

"Over where?" She asked.

"This lake wasn't always here. This place used to be completely different."

"I don't understand."

"500 years ago, a girl sealed me to that tree with a sacred arrow. She betrayed me for a human man and sealed me to get rid of me. I was basically dead until 15 years ago. Strangely enough, the day you were born was the day my seal was broken. When I was unsealed, the lake was here and so was this wall. I didn't recognize anything on the other side. I tried to adjust but…I'm the only half demon in this time so I just felt comfortable staying here. My home used to be where this lake stands and this tree was referred to as the tree of destiny. I think...this tree brought you here in your dreams. They say this tree has the power to create paths and tie the threads of fate between two people."

Kagome was sad. Inuyasha had suffered a lot in his life. She just wanted to take all his pain away.

"When I first saw you, I thought you were a ghost, but when I realized you weren't, I figured the tree of destiny brought you to this place and it made me feel a bit better. I'm used to being alone but…having you is nice." Inuyasha admitted with a smile.

Kagome looked up at him as tears began to fall from her eyes. "Inuyasha. I don't want you to hurt anymore. I want to make sure you smile all the time. I don't know what I can do for you, but I want you to be happy. You don't have to be alone anymore."

'Why does she care so much?' He wondered while wiping her tears away. "Kagome. I know and I don't have much to offer you but I'll be here."

"Always?" She asked with a sniffle.

"Always." He assured her with a smile.

'I'm so afraid of falling in love with her. I think I'm falling in love again. I can't do this. I just want to stay like this.'

_How long can they really stay like this?_


	6. Paper Doll

Kagome was in her last period math class excited that the day was almost over because Inuyasha was supposed to pick her up. She brought two bento lunches for them to eat by the lake and she made him a paper doll in art class. The day before, he spent the entire day at her house. She could tell he liked being around her family and they all loved having him around. As soon as the bell rang she rushed outside to meet Inuyasha at the spot across the street, only to be stopped by a boy who liked her. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. Hojo was the hottest guy in the whole school, but Kagome was never interested.

"Hi, Kagome" He approached her excitedly.

"Hey, Hojo."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies this Saturday."

Kagome laughed nervously. "I appreciate the offer, Hojo but I just moved a few days ago and I'm still trying to adjust. Between that and entrance exams coming up, I don't have much time. I'm sorry." She lied through her teeth.

"It's alright Kagome. There's always next time! See you later!" He waved at her and got on his bike.

Kagome sighed. "When is he ever gonna get the hint?" She wondered, while shrugging off the thought. She crossed the street and stood by the tree she promised to meet Inuyasha by. He jumped down and surprised her.

"Hey!" She shouted as she hugged him, noticing that he didn't return her hug. When she looked at him he seemed a bit upset.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

He avoided eye contact with her and nodded his head. "Get on. Let's get out of here."

She got on his back as they headed back to their spot by the lake.

Kagome got off Inuyasha's back as he sat against the tree with his legs crossed Indian style. Kagome sat next to him as he proceeded to avoid eye contact with her. He wasn't his usual self and she wasn't sure why.

"I brought you a lunch." She said handing him the bento box.

"I'm not hungry."

Kagome put the lunchbox back in her bag. She was getting frustrated with Inuyasha's attitude. She waited all day to see him and he was being rude.

"What's wrong? Why are you upset? Did I do something?" She questioned him angrily.

"No, okay? Just drop it." He fired.

"Not likely!" She fired back.

The two were in each other's faces shouting like a married couple. Inuyasha pulled back and continued to lean against the tree. The two sat in angry silence for a few moments until Inuyasha spoke up.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?"

"Hojo? He's a boy from my school."

"Obviously. But who is he? Is he your boyfriend?"

"What? No! Actually, he asked me on a date and-"

"I heard. The ears, remember?"

Kagome sighed. She wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up about some dumb boy from her school. "Well I turned him down because I don't like him. He asks me out all the time. I always deny him but he still asks me to go out with him."

"Oh." Was his only response.

Kagome bit her lip and played with her fingers. "Why did you even care?" She asked.

"I don't care." He replied coldly. "He's just weird looking. So I figured I'd find out what the hell you were doing with him."

"Well he isn't my boyfriend. If I had a boyfriend, don't you think I would have told you?"

"I guess." For some reason, he felt relieved that she didn't have a boyfriend. He wasn't even sure why he got so worked up when he saw her talking to that guy.

"Do you want your lunch now?" She asked, dangling the bento in front of his face.

Inuyasha finally decided to stop being stubborn and took the lunch. Kagome took out hers and the two ate in silence. Inuyasha kept staring at Kagome out the side of his eye and couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in her school uniform. 'Why do I keep having all these thoughts about her? Why can't I stop thinking of her this way?'

"Inuyasha" Kagome called out, pulling him back to reality. "I made this for you in art class." She said happily, handing him the paper doll. Inuyasha held it in his hand and stared at it. The doll had two googly eyes and a crooked smile on it. Kagome wasn't much of an artist but he was very touched that she made something for him.

"Thanks, Kagome. I'll keep it till the end of time." He said while smiling.

She smiled back, remembering his first promise to her. "Glad you like it. So…how was your day?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "This is the best part of my day. What about you?"

Kagome blushed, knowing how much she meant to him. "Same here."

Kagome was unsure of her feelings, having never experienced love, but one thing she was sure of was the fact that she liked Inuyasha as more than a friend.


	7. Diary Confession

Dear Diary,

It's hard for me to sleep tonight because I have so much on my mind and so many questions in my head. What is love? I know it's what you do, it's what you say, and it's what you feel. Once you fall in love, you become it. But what does it feel like? Am I in love? Did I fall in love with my best friend? I know our days together have been beautiful and I feel so connected to him. I feel like I was born with a part of his soul and he was born with part of mine. I feel like we're meant to be…something. I don't know if we're supposed to be friends or if it's safe to love him. How could he ever love me after what that girl did to him all those years ago? I bet he doesn't even look at me that way. I'm just a 15 year old human girl. He's been alive much longer than me and I'm probably just some dumb kid to him. Maybe I should put these feelings aside and appreciate what we have and not chase pavements.

But I don't know if I can do that, or if I should do that. I'm so confused. My heart refuses to let this go.

Well, Goodnight Diary.

~Kagome


	8. Fifteen

Kagome woke up to the buzzing of her alarm. She turned off her alarm and yawned.

"I'm finally 15." She said contently while sitting up. She looked to her right and noticed a bouquet of flowers sitting on her desk. She stood up to go look at it. 'How beautiful, who are they from?' She studied the beautiful bouquet and read an attached note.

_Kagome, I picked these for you this morning. I hope you like them. Happy birthday. Thank you for being born. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for caring. Thank you for everything. I love you. Inuyasha._

Kagome couldn't get over the last sentence. I love you. Her heart skipped a few beats every time she reread that sentence.

"He probably only means it in a friendly way but still. I can't help the way his words make me feel." Kagome took an old vase out of her closet and filled it with water to put her flowers in. She smelled them, inhaling the beautiful scent of the fresh picked flowers and went to get ready for school.

* * *

><p>"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" All her friends said in unison.<p>

Kagome had three best girl friends at school: Yuka, Eri and Ayumi. Ayumi was the bookworm amongst the group. She was studious and very carefree. Yuka was fun and sweet, while Eri was a bit on the edgy side, but still loveable.

"Thanks guys" Kagome blushed. She loved having good friends.

"So what are your plans for today?" Yuka asked.

"Well actually…I wanted to spend the weekend with an old friend whose birthday happens to be tomorrow. But I need one of you to cover for me."

Her friends all looked at each other in confusion.

"Who is it?" Ayumi asked.

"Is it a boy?" Eri added.

Kagome shamefully nodded. "Please, guys! I really like him and I want to have a little camping trip with him. He means a lot to me so I'd appreciate it if one of you could do this for me."

Eri shook her head. "Bad, bad, Kagome! This isn't like you." Yuka nodded in agreement.

"I'll cover for you, Kagome" Ayumi stated. "If you really care about this guy, I don't want to be the one to stop you from enjoying your birthday weekend with him. He seems special."

Kagome bowed in gratitude to her best friend. "Thank you so much! You guys have to trust me. It isn't what you think. I've known this guy my entire life and this isn't the first time I've gone camping with him."

Her friends nodded. They knew Kagome wasn't that type of girl and if she was going to spend a weekend with this guy, he had to be really important to her.

"You're gonna let us meet him one day, right?" Yuka asked.

Kagome nodded emphatically. "Of course! I want all my best friends to know each other. Thank you again. I have to go home and pack. Bye guys!"

Kagome excitedly rushed out the school and went straight home to tell her mother she'd be "staying at Ayumi's house."

* * *

><p>Kagome was able to convince her mother she was going to stay at Ayumi's. She changed into a pink shirt, blue jeans and even threw on a bit of make up. She packed some food, clothes, a blanket, threw a bunch of other things in her bag in a rush along with the gift she had picked up for Inuyasha on the way home. She neatly wrapped it in beautiful gold paper and wrote a note for him as he did for her. She kissed her mother goodbye and rushed out the door, meeting Inuyasha at the bottom of the steps to her shrine.<p>

Inuyasha noticed how amazing Kagome looked, as usual. Today she was shining in his view, wearing make up that enhanced her natural beauty and an outfit that complimented her curves flawlessly. She gave him a big, bright smile that he returned, only to make her blush.

"Happy birthday, Kagome. What's in that big bag?" He asked.

"Thanks and my things."

"Things?"

"Yeah. I figured we could spend the next few days together by the lake. You don't mind right?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Sounds like fun."

He picked her up onto his back and headed towards their spot.

"Thank you for the flowers by the way. They're beautiful." She said sweetly.

Inuyasha blushed as he felt his heart pounding. "Don't mention it."

'I can't believe this. She wants to spend nights with me. Does this mean…nah it can't mean that. She only looks at me as a friend. She doesn't want to be with me. I might as well just let it go and be glad I have her in my life. Now I'm pushing it.' He argued with himself in his head as they reached the stone wall and he leapt over.


	9. Two days and Three nights

Inuyasha stopped on the other side of the wall to let Kagome off but she continued to hold onto him. The warmth from Kagome's body was almost gripping at his soul but he wasn't going to admit that to her.

"Uh…Kagome?"

"You want me to let go?"

"I don't know. If you want to."

"I don't."

Inuyasha's heart almost stopped. If she didn't let go, he was sure he would go into cardiac arrest. It was impossible to hold back his feelings for her when she made him feel this good. He had to do something, anything to get her off of him. "You're heavy."

Kagome's calm and content face immediately turned angry from the insult. "Are you calling me fat?"

"No. Just heavy. You have that big ass bag on full of stuff so you're heavy." He felt terrible for lying to her, but felt even worse that he was compelled to hide his feelings for her.

Kagome let go of Inuyasha and punched him in his arm.

"Hey! What was that for?" He shouted, grabbing his arm.

"For calling me heavy! Hmph." She slowly walked away and put her bag down by the tree.

Inuyasha followed after her, still holding his arm. "Are you mad at me?"

Kagome's face showed blatant anger. She didn't even have to say yes. 'She's even cute when she's mad.' He thought.

Inuyasha didn't want to make her feel bad. He honestly wanted to make her feel as good as she made him feel and he knew he had to do damage control—and fast. "I'm sorry okay? I wasn't calling YOU heavy. But you and your stuff together are heavy."

'He's lying.' She figured. Kagome was very intuitive and able to discern the truth from a lie. She was mainly upset because she figured he didn't like when she touched him. She walked off towards the lake and sat at the shore.

"Damn it! I've upset her on her birthday." Inuyasha cursed himself and followed her.

Kagome angrily sat by the water. 'I don't even know why I'm so upset. I'm being stupid.' She was thinking to herself, feeling a little guilty until Inuyasha reached his arms around her and held her. Kagome felt chills go through her entire body. She was certain in that moment that she was in love.

"I'm sorry, Kagome." He whispered in her ear. She bit her lip and grasped his arms as he held her. She just wanted to confess her love to him, kiss him and live happily ever after. But…

'He doesn't love me.' She convinced herself. 'Not the way I love him.'

He took one hand and gently brushed the hair off the side of her face and placed it behind her ear.

"You still mad at me?" He whispered again.

She winced at how tempting it was to blurt out words like 'I love you! Marry me now! Let's run away together!' So she just shook her head no and held his arms tighter. "I'm not mad. But please don't let go." She pleaded.

Inuyasha smirked, kissed her cheek right beneath her ear, sending more chills down her body. She wanted to jump out of her skin and backflip across that entire lake into oblivion. "I wasn't planning on it." Inuyasha continued to hold her while the two looked off into the lake as the sun began to set.

"Kagome. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

He was silent for a moment. It made Kagome feel uneasy until he finally spoke up. "Why me? You could have spent your birthday with anyone else in the world. You could have gone out partying or done something exciting but you're here with me. Why?"

"Inuyasha…there's nothing else I'd rather be doing than spending time with you. Besides. Wouldn't you be lonely on your birthday if I wasn't here?"

"It never mattered before."

Kagome rolled her eyes. 'He really doesn't care, does he?'

"But…" Inuyasha continued. "I like being with you. I-I'd rather be with you, okay?" He held her tighter and rested his chin on her hair. "You swear you're not mad at me? I really didn't mean what I said. I was just joking."

"I'm not mad, Inuyasha. I knew you were joking, silly."

Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief and the two watched the sun completely set in amicable silence. Kagome began falling asleep in Inuyasha's arms and he gently turned her to let her rest on his shoulder while sitting on his lap. He noticed how angelic she looked when she slept. How happy and peaceful she looked when she rested. He fell more and more in love with her every moment. The two loved each other so much it hurt, thinking the other didn't love them back.

* * *

><p>Not long after Kagome fell asleep, she woke up feeling warm and content with Inuyasha still holding her. She looked up at him and noticed he was awake, his amber eyes glowing in the moonlight, staring off into the space in front. His beautiful hairs flowing down his back making him look as angelic as always. He looked down at her and their eyes met. The two felt something connect between them. In that moment, they understood everything they thought they felt.<p>

'I'm so deep in love that I'm drowning in it' they both thought.

The two looked away blushing, too afraid to admit their feelings and lose the most important person in their lives. They both assumed it was best to keep quiet and keep things the way they were. The friendly camping trip turned into a game of "who will break and say I love you first?"


	10. The Breeze

"Are you hungry?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly. "A little."

"I'll make us something to eat."

Kagome made a fire and cooked some instant noodles for them both. Inuyasha enjoyed his so much that he finished before Kagome even started.

"I guess you were more than a little hungry." Kagome said jokingly, as she began to eat hers.

"Guess so." He agreed, tossing his bowl to the side.

Kagome ate her noodles and took out a more comfortable change of clothes.

"I'm gonna go change behind the tree. Be right back."

Inuyasha laid back on the grass looking up at the starless sky.

"Why does love hurt so much?" He whispered to himself as Kagome returned from behind the tree wearing a short lavender nightgown with her hair pinned up. Inuyasha was convinced in that moment she was a goddess. The silky material was luminescent as the moon shone on it. Her skin was ghostly in the night, and she looked like she came straight from heaven. Her gown wasn't revealing, but it was short enough to entice his imagination. Inuyasha's eyes were free to gloss over most of her beautiful silky skin that wasn't covered by the dress and the small amount of cleavage it exposed. He wasn't sure what hurt more: The fact that he could look and not touch, or the fact that her beauty made him love her more and he couldn't have her.

As Kagome approached, she noticed a stupid look on his face and figured he was probably grossed out by what she had on.

"You look nice." He spoke up while looking off. She looked at him in shock after his compliment. In turn, making her the one with the stupid face.

"What? You were gonna ask me something like 'how do I look?' right?" He said, imitating her voice.

Kagome sighed and took her blanket out of her bag. She set the blanket down on the grass and lied on her side facing Inuyasha with her arm supporting her head.

"Don't you wanna come lie down on the blanket? It's much more comfortable than the ground."

He hated the fact that she would reel him in so close. He wanted to be near her, but he had to ignore those feelings for the sake of keeping her in his life.

"No thanks. I'm fine right here." He responded, looking off into the sky again. 'I don't want to get too close to her. Keeping my distance makes it easier to hide my feelings.'

"Fine." Kagome said in an upset tone while turning over to face the other way. 'He really doesn't like me, I guess. Maybe I'm coming off too strong. I'll leave him alone.' She thought while she closed her eyes.

Inuyasha realized that he'd upset her and felt obligated to be close to her and make her feel better. He jumped onto the blanket next to her and laid flat on his back.

"You're right this feels much better." He admitted.

Kagome sat up and looked at him, smiling. "See? You should stop being so stubborn all the time." She asserted.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's stern face with an eyebrow raised. He liked her fiery personality. "Well excuse me." He said jokingly.

Kagome wanted to move closer to him but was unsure if it was okay. She pondered over the thought until Inuyasha had pulled her close to him and wrapped the rest of the blanket around her. The two looked up at the sky together while a small breeze blew over them.

"I-I didn't want you to be cold. You're practically naked in _this_." He stated, tugging at her nightgown.

"I am not!" She argued, face flushed red. "My mom got this nightgown for me! I thought it was nice!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Whatever. You're still kind of naked."

"I didn't think it would make a difference what I wore." She assumed, face still flushed.

"It makes a _big_ difference. Just drop it though, okay?"

And she did. She just loved Inuyasha holding her. He felt so warm and she felt so peaceful with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

They felt like the other person already knew how they felt and whatever happened from that moment on would just happen. The two laid there, listening to the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves and the sounds of the water not too far from their feet.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke up nervously.

"Yeah?" He looked over at her curiously.

"Um...You're not sad anymore, right?"

Inuyasha shook his head and let out a small sigh. "Nah. I don't really remember what it was like to be sad."

The two stared at one another and felt like their hearts were melting. Neither one could hold on to their feelings any longer. They felt like they'd explode if they had to hold it in any longer. Hiding their love was becoming more painful than the thought of rejection and something had to be done.

'I shouldn't...' He thought to himself, still gazing in her deep brown glowing eyes.

'I don't think he wants me to...' She thought to herself, lost in those supernatural amber eyes.

'But I can't help it anymore.'

'I just need you to know how I feel.'


	11. Reluctance

'_I shouldn't...' He thought to himself, still gazing in her deep brown glowing eyes._

_'I don't think he wants me to...' She thought to herself, lost in those supernatural amber eyes._

_'But I can't help it anymore.'_

_'I just need you to know how I feel.'_

Inuyasha and Kagome met each other's lips in a reluctant kiss. When each one realized the kiss was mutual, they lost their minds. Sparks began to fly as reluctance transformed into certainty. Kagome completely let herself go and Inuyasha surrendered to Kagome's passionate kiss. He reached his arms around her back as the taste of her sweet strawberry lips completely distorted his thought process and all he could do was feel at that moment. He was Kagome's first kiss and he felt like she was his. He never loved like this before and she's never loved at all. All in all, it was a new experience for both of them. Inuyasha's thoughts were clouded even further as her beautiful scent entered his nose.

'I've been alone for so long. Now I have her.' Inuyasha thought as her sweet lips electrified his taste buds. He didn't care if it was a dream or he was just imagining it. He did not want to stop kissing her. He could feel her soft and warm skin for the first time as he stroked her arm. It was like touching gold. She was truly a woman he'd always treasure.

'This is what I've been looking for…all this time.' Kagome thought as her entire body was tingling with feelings she couldn't process as he gave her the best first kiss of her life, sucking off her chapstick and gently nipping at her bottom lip with his fangs. She was numb from her neck to her chest cavity and nothing could make her regret that moment. It was as though a spell had been cast on her.

All of these feelings from just one kiss.

The two pulled apart for air and stared at one another, eyes both hazy.

"Inuyasha…" "Kagome…" they both whispered each other's names at the same time.

"You first." The two spoke at the same time again, laughing.

"Inuyasha." Kagome spoke up. "I wanted to do that for so long. I don't know what this special connection is that I feel with you but I feel like we were made for one another. I love you…more than I could ever promise. I hope you return my feelings. I was afraid to tell you because I figured I'm just some human girl, and you probably couldn't love again after that stupid horrible woman hurt you back then. But I will love you with my every last breath if you'll let me."

"Kagome" He responded, staring into her eyes, running his clawed hand down her cheek. "I've loved you since that day you came back after all those years. I've always loved you. I just wasn't aware. The way you made me feel every time I saw you was just…unexplainable. You were never just some human girl to me. You're much more than that. But…I figured you'd want to be with someone completely human."

Kagome shook her head in contest. "No, Inuyasha! I don't care about any of that, trust me."

She kissed him again and he sighed into the kiss. It was just as amazing as their first kiss. The two were relieved they didn't have to hide their feelings anymore. The feelings they've always felt.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guize ^_^ just wanted to take a moment to say [::THANK YOU::] for the reviews, adding me and my story to your alerts and faves. I'm nothing without readers xoxoxo. Keep reading and reviewing!<strong>

**-VQ**


	12. Sixteen

Kagome woke up to the sun shining on her face, protectively wrapped in her blanket and the arms of her love. She adored the feeling of his rough, strong arms cradling her body. She could tell by the way he held her that he valued her and cared for her deeply. There was nothing in the world that could make her doubt him.

As she gently stirred, Inuyasha began to awaken as well. 'She's so warm.' He thought as he wondered how he'd gone from being so lonely and hurt to being so happy. He loved the way her soft, warm skin felt when she was close and how her hair had draped over his face when he slept. It was so silky. Everything about her body, every follicle of her was absolute perfection. He kissed her forehead and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair.

She slowly moved out of his grasp and kissed his cheek. "Happy Birthday!" She said with a loving smile. "I'm gonna take a bath and make breakfast for us. You can rest for a bit longer if you'd like."

He nodded with a smile and drifted back to sleep. Knowing he had Kagome, he was able to rest peacefully for a change.

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><p>Inuyasha had woken up again a bit later to the scent of food and the scent of Kagome's lotion. He screamed when he noticed she was only in underwear and turned away.<p>

"What's wrong?" She asked as she ran up to him.

"Y-you're not wearing clothes. I didn't want to look and upset you." He said with his eyes covered and his face flushed red.

Kagome laughed at how cute Inuyasha was being. "Inuyasha, this is my bathing suit. It's hot today and I washed up in the lake so I'm keeping this on." She explained, pulling his hands off his eyes. "It's okay for you to look. I actually wore this to the beach two summers ago."

Inuyasha slowly looked up at her pink and green bikini that exposed more of her skin than that partially revealing night gown she wore last night. His eyes were only two pieces of fabric away from seeing her most sacred body parts. He just wanted to tear away that bikini with his claws because felt like he was getting closer and closer to seeing it all. 'I think she's teasing me on purpose.' He considered, with an eyebrow raised.

Kagome rushed back to her bag to take out the gift she had gotten for Inuyasha. "Here you are! Happy birthday."

Inuyasha tore away the gold wrapping and inside it found a black shirt, blue and white boxers and a pair of jeans along with a note.

'_Happy Birthday. I'll do everything I can to make sure this is the best birthday of your life and I'll keep doing so as long as I live. Love, Kagome.'_

He smiled wide as he read the note and gave Kagome a sweet kiss to thank her. He didn't care that it was his birthday. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone had gotten him anything. Kagome had already done more than enough for him and every moment he had a reason to love her more.

"There's one more thing! Close your eyes."

Inuyasha closed his eyes as Kagome put something around his neck. He opened his eyes and looked down to see a hand made beaded necklace. The white beads spelled out "BFFL" with blue and red beads surrounding it.

"That was the gift I had made you when we were younger." She said, laughing at herself. "I know it's kind of stupid now but-"

Inuyasha cut off her words by pulling her in for a kiss. Kagome felt all the adrenaline pumping in her body from the surprise kiss and the feeling was invigorating.

He slowly pulled his lips away from hers "It's not stupid." He assured her, speaking softly onto her lips, close enough to be drawn in for another kiss. He looked down at the necklace. 'She must have spent a lot of time on this.'

Kagome was blushing furiously watching how he admired the little craft project she did for him. "Go try the clothes on while I serve breakfast." She suggested, going off to get their food ready.

Inuyasha nodded and leapt behind the tree to try them on.

Soon after, he returned wearing the black shirt and only the boxers as he sat down to eat his food.

Kagome got a good look at pantless Inuyasha. She didn't mind if he just wanted to hang out in his boxers but he was kind of _hanging out_ and she could see a big bulge in his underwear. "Uh...What about the jeans?" she asked.

"Not enough room." He said nonchalantly, with his mouth stuffed.

"Room?" Kagome thought for a second and practically turned red at the thought. "Ohh. Roooom. I get it. Sorry. I'll exchange them for you tomorrow."

They ate in silence exchanging happy smiles as Inuyasha kept staring at her body in the bikini.

"What is it?" Kagome asked curiously, feeling a little nervous about the way he looked at her.

"Why don't you just come out naked next time?" He responded with a perverted look on his face. "I feel like you're teasing me on purpose."

Kagome's entire face flushed as she covered her eyes and giggled. "Inuyasha, you're so bad, cut it out!"

"What? I haven't done anything yet!" He said as he pulled Kagome into his arms. Inuyasha kissed her neck and she let out a gasp, squirming around in his grasp until her bikini top began to come loose. Kagome noticed and tried to stop it from falling down.

"Leave it." He whispered onto her neck gently planting kisses up to her ear.

Kagome was attracted to Inuyasha in every which way. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally and even sexually. What regular guy would have eyes like his, or hair like his or even an amazing body like his? He was perfect to her and she liked the way he made her feel.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He spoke gently directly into her ear as though the secret belonged to her.

"W-What is it?" She asked softly, trembling slightly from the feeling of his body heat and the tingle going down her spine from when he spoke so soft in her ear.


	13. Innocence

**WARNING: LEMON**

**that is all.**

**-VQ**

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><p><em>"Can I tell you a secret?" He spoke gently directly into her ear as though the secret belonged to her.<em>

_"W-What is it?" She asked softly, trembling slightly from the feeling of his body heat and the tingling in her spine from when he spoke so soft in her ear._

"My demon…is yearning for you." He whispered.

Kagome wanted to faint in his arms every time his deep husky voice entered her eardrums.

"I have no idea what that means." She whispered back, gently rubbing his ears as her top slid completely off.

He held her close to him, nuzzling her neck as she rubbed his ears. "Kagome I've been alone for so long a-and you're so...I don't know. You're just everything. I want to love you…if you'll let me."

Kagome blushed. She wanted to give herself to Inuyasha but she was nervous. "I-I don't really…I've just never—"

Inuyasha stroked her cheek as he continued to hold her close to him. "Do you trust me?"

Kagome nodded without hesitation. Of course she trusted Inuyasha. He didn't even need to ask.

"If we do this right now, Kagome. You'd be my mate forever. My demon would mark you right…here" He explained while licking the spot on her neck, making her shiver slightly. "Is that what you want? Do you want to be mine? Once we mate, that's it. It'll be you and only you that I'll be with for life, and only me that you'll be with."

Forever? What regular guy actually _wants_ to be with a girl forever? 'Then again...Inuyasha is no regular guy. He never was.' "Yes." She said with certainty. "I want to be your mate."

Inuyasha kissed Kagome's cheek and laid her down on the blanket. His eyes widened as he got to look at her breasts. 'Finally.' He thought. They were just as beautiful as she was, inside and out. They were round, soft and perky. He grabbed each one in his hands and gently squeezed them while grinding up against her, slowly getting hard. Kagome could feel Inuyasha's hardness between her legs, how big and firm it was. She was curious about how it would feel inside. Inuyasha licked each one of her pink nipples making her moan and grind up against him in turn. She didn't feel like she was doing anything bad, since it was like a formal mating process and she was just expressing her love. Inuyasha kissed his way down her navel, pulled her bottom piece off with his fangs and threw it on the ground.

"I don't want you wearing that anymore…unless you wear _just_ it for me." He said as he stared at her wet spot.

She smelled sweet and pure, hot, pink and ready for his taking. He licked the sweet dripping substance up and slowly entered his tongue into her as she screamed. She tasted just as good as she looked. Everything about her body was beautiful to him, from her skin down to her soul. She was his beautiful untouched flower; A flower with an intoxicating scent and an even more intoxicating nectar.

"Inu…yasha! Ahh." Kagome was in ecstasy at that moment. She was immensely enjoying how Inuyasha was making her feel as his tongue slid in and out of her, touching spots on her body she didn't know she had. She shivered and shook as he worked between her legs.

"You want it that bad?" He asked as he put her legs on his shoulders and gently sucked her clit.

"Oh, Inuyasha!" She screamed. She didn't know any feeling could be greater than what she felt before. But this was it. At least she thought it was.

Inuyasha looked up at her face as it was scrunched up in pleasure, telling him to continue and never stop. He slowed down sucking her clit and began rubbing her wetness with his finger. She looked down at him and bit her bottom lip. He gave her a gentle smile and started sucking on her clit again.

She scrunched up her face in pleasure once more and screamed as he put one of his fingers inside of her. Inuyasha swirled around his finger inside Kagome and continued sucking her clit, occasionally nipping at it and licking it. Kagome let out loud groans as she felt her first orgasm building up. She felt like a rocket about to lift off.

Inuyasha could smell her spiked scent as she dripped even more all over his fingers. He couldn't wait to get inside her. He stuck one more finger inside her and she began to whimper a little from pain.

He didn't want to hurt her. The only thing he wanted to do was make her feel good so he stopped to check on her. "You okay? I'm just trying to loosen you up."

She gave him a slow nod and he went back to sucking on her clit as she began to ease up and get more comfortable. She grabbed some of his soft white hair as he sucked harder and pumped his fingers in and out slowly increasing speed with her moans. She could hear the sound of Inuyasha sucking on her clit and his fingers going in and out of her. They were the most beautiful and stimulating sounds to enter her eardrums.

"Inuyasha…I'm...about to…" Kagome was breathing heavily as she was reaching her peak. Inuyasha pumped his fingers one more time and she let out a loud moan as she experienced her first orgasm. He licked all the juices off his fingers and the ones dripping from her wet core.

"Mmm."

"You…like it?" She asked, timidly.

"Yeah. You wanna know how it tastes?" He got on top of her and kissed her, slowly sliding his tongue inside her mouth as their tongues swirled around one another. Kagome could taste the sweet substance that came from her body on his tongue and lips. She wanted to know what he tasted like too and began pulling down his boxers.

"What are you up to?" He asked, with her lip between his fangs.

"You lay here." She ordered.

He gave into her command, dying to find out what she had in mind. With the two in switched positions and completely naked, Kagome laid on top of him as their bodies exchanged heat. Inuyasha ran his hands down her back, feeling her silky soft skin as she rubbed his ears and kissed his neck. Inuyasha's body was very sensitive and longing for the touch of a kindhearted woman. He growled and purred her every touch as she kissed his neck, his chest, his waistline, and finally…his hot spot. She stared at how big it was. How firm and hard it was, pulsing for her. She glided her hands across the protruding veins causing it to jerk from her touch.

"Don't tease me." He groaned. Kagome smirked and took his shaft into her mouth. She slowly bobbed her head up and down as a salty substance began to come out in her mouth. Inuyasha reached his claws into the blanket as he moaned in pleasure. She didn't have to do that for him. He didn't care if she ever wanted to do it again. All he knew was at that moment...

"Ka…gome…damn. That feels so good." He whined as he gently rubbed her back, tickling her spine.

Kagome let out a moan; her voice vibrating on his shaft making him squirm as her hot mouth surrounded him and her hands explored the rest of his body. He couldn't control himself anymore.

"Fuck, Kagome. Come here. Please."

Kagome slid her mouth off of him with a 'pop' and crawled on top of him. This time, he was the one biting his lip, with lust in his eyes, watching, as his sweet girl became a sexy seductress right before him. He wanted nothing more than to take her innocence and mark her as his. He flipped her back onto the bottom and licked the spot on her neck he intended to mark.

"You ready?" He asked softly, looking for the certainty in her eyes.

"Uh huh" She nodded with a smile, looking at the certainty in his eyes and showing him the certainty in hers.

Inuyasha rubbed himself against Kagome's clit as she moaned.

"Don't you tease me, now." She said to him with a crooked smile on her face.

"Tell me what you want then."

"I want you."

"You want me to…" He continued to tease while still grinding on her, making her mind more muddled.

"I want you inside me right now!" She whined, reaching her hands around his muscular back.

"_That's_ more like it."

Inuyasha slowly entered himself into Kagome as she groaned in a bit of pain. He could feel the skin slowly breaking away as he entered further. The scent of a little blood hit his nose as stayed motionless until she could adjust to his size. He gently stroked in and out until her groans turned into pleasure-filled moans. He pushed all the way inside and stopped.

"Okay I'm inside. Now what do you want?" He asked teasingly.

"Mmm. Inuyasha you're such a tease."

"Not at all. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it for you."

Inuyasha grinded into Kagome, touching her spot and caused her to cry out.

"F…fu…fuck me!"

"This is the first time I've heard you talk like that." Inuyasha chuckled and began stroking in and out as her tight, warm center practically strangled him, giving him unimaginable pleasure.

"Kagome you're so tight." He groaned.

"Faster!" She demanded.

Inuyasha pulled out of her and turned her onto her stomach, pulled her onto her knees and rubbed her clit again.

"W-What are you doing now?" She asked.

"You said faster, right? I'm gonna go faster then."

Kagome's eyes widened and she wondered what she'd gotten herself into. She realized that during sex, you don't exactly think straight and sometimes you say things without realizing it.

Inuyasha entered her once again. He harshly pumped into her and pulled almost all the way out pumping harshly into her again, causing her to moan and scream his name at the top of her lungs. Good thing there was no one nearby to hear her. Her eyes began rolling into the back of her head as he picked up his speed and she felt like her body was about to give out. The way he filled her up every time he went so deep made her feel numb in her legs. She could feel another orgasm coming along and Inuyasha could feel it too as her walls tightly clenched his hardness. The harder he pumped the more she started to move away and he would pull her back by her waist.

"Don't run." He spoke in that husky voice, making Kagome feel even weaker. "You're the one who wanted me to go faster."

"I'm tired." She whined. "I wanna make love nice and slow now."

Inuyasha didn't mind that at all. He pulled out of her again and laid next to her. "Okay. You get on top of me."

Kagome got on top of Inuyasha and guided him inside her. She moaned as he entered her and slowly pumped into her. She laid her body flat on top of him and the two met each other's slow strokes as she moaned and kissed his neck. She loved how soft but slightly rough his skin was. She loved the fact that she could heal his wounds and ease the loneliness he felt. She loved Inuyasha entirely.

"Kagome…mmm…I love you so much." He said in a sweet voice, rubbing the nape of her neck.

"Ohh I love you too, Inuyasha. So much."

"I love you more." He groaned as the feeling of her tightening around him almost made him explode.

"I don't think that's possible."

Inuyasha smirked and gently nibbled on the side of her ear.

"Anything is possible." He whispered. Sending chills down her spine, making her drip more wetness onto him.

"You like it don't you? When I whisper in your ear? I realized that yesterday. I could smell it in your scent. I had a feeling you wanted me when you came out in that sexy nightgown. You were doing it all for me, right?"

Kagome moaned as Inuyasha whispered all her own secrets in her ear. The ones she never told anyone were the ones he knew. She loved how he knew her better than herself.

"Tell me, Kagome. Tell me how you wanted this as badly as I did. Tell me it's true." He continued to whisper, making her leak even more.

"It is! It's all true." She cried out through her gasps.

"I just w-wanted…you to love me the way I loved you…a-and I wasn't sure if y-you felt the way I did."

Inuyasha could feel his climax coming on as he flipped Kagome over onto the bottom continued to stroke. He slowly picked up speed as she screamed his name, begging him to bring her to her peak. His climax got closer and closer and closer, as his face transformed. His fangs grew longer and his eyes turned red. Jagged purple markings appeared on his face as he growled, sank his teeth into Kagome and released himself into her. She screamed out as she released with him. The feeling of his fangs sinking into her skin sent heat throughout her body, like his demon was marking more than her neck. It didn't feel like a normal bite. She felt like she belonged to Inuyasha and wasn't going to argue with that. He slowly lifted his transformed face and looked at her. She let out a low gasp and gently touched his face, running her fingers over his long fangs. She wasn't afraid at all. Just a bit surprised to see him like this.

"Inuyasha…" She whispered his name, making sure that the demon in him recognized her.

He cocked his head and looked at her. Inuyasha ran his clawed hand down the side of Kagome's face.

"My mate." He growled out.

Kagome smiled at him. "Yes. We're mates now. I'll be yours forever."

Inuyasha nuzzled Kagome's neck and let out a purring, rumbling sound as she gently rubbed his back. He licked the mark on her neck so it would heal from his saliva. Once Inuyasha recovered from his orgasm, he turned back to his normal self. He lifted his head up to look at Kagome and smiled.

"I love you, Kagome."

"I love you too, Inuyasha."

He slowly pulled out of her and laid next to her.

"Your demon is a little scary. But you're still the same cutie." She said with a chuckle.

"Hey! I'm a _powerful_ demon. Nothing to be called cute." He retorted confidently.

"Right, right I forgot!" She giggled.

Inuyasha gently rubbed her stomach and moved close to her. "I'm really sorry you were sad all of those years because of me."

Kagome turned to him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm the one that should be sorry! All those years you were by yourself!"

"It's because of you I learned to miss someone. I began to _feel_ again, all because of you. You have nothing to be sorry for. So quit apologizing, okay?"

Kagome was so happy that they found each other. She didn't think either of them had anything to be sorry for as long as they had each other right now. "Kay."


	14. The Eyes

Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting underneath the tree hand in hand watching the sunset. He loved the way her little fingers fit so perfectly in the empty spaces between his. The fact that those spaces never had to be empty again warmed his heart.

"Sometimes I wonder…" Kagome began. "Not that I mind or anything. But why me? Why was my destiny tied to yours? From what I understand, you and I were meant to be since birth. But what was it?"

She looked up at the tree of destiny. "Why have you sealed our fates? Is this something we have to learn on our own?"

She looked off at the lake and noticed something glimmering in the center. The sight almost blinded her. "What is that glow?"

"Huh? Where?" Inuyasha looked in the direction she was looking, but couldn't pinpoint what she was staring at.

Kagome got up and walked towards the lake. She removed the sandals she had on and walked into the water.

'What the hell is she doing?' Inuyasha got up and followed her, wondering what she was doing.

Kagome reached down where she saw the glimmering spot and dug beneath the shallow area with her hands. She pulled up a sword that immediately caught Inuyasha's eye.

He stared at it in fascination. "T-That sword! It belonged to my father!" He exclaimed.

Kagome came out of the water and handed it to him. He held the blade in his hand and stared at it like he was hypnotized.

"I understand now…"

Kagome blinked a few times and gave him a blank stare. "Understand what?"

He grabbed her hand and brought her back beneath the tree. He sat down studying the rusty sword. He ran his hands across the blade and gripped the hilt tightly. He never thought he'd get to see this sword because he didn't know where his father had placed it.

"When I was little, my mother told me that the woman with the eyes is the woman I will marry. She told me it was my destiny. A woman with special eyes will be the one."

Kagome looked at him in complete confusion.

"All this time. My entire life. I never knew the sword my father left me was here. But you were able to see it."

Kagome looked at the sword in Inuyasha's hand and then back at him. "I don't understand…what does that mean about me?"

"It means you're extraordinary. You can see things that no average person can see. My mother told me that the first time she saw my father they exchanged unforgettable words. When he approached her, right by this tree, he said…"

"_You stand there as though you were waiting for someone."  
>"I was waiting for you. I could see you coming from afar. That strange glimmer from your sword caught my eye."<em>

"And from that moment on he knew she was the woman of his destiny. The women with eyes are the women we are bound to. I guess that's why you had those vivid dreams that brought you here. Having those eyes must really be something."

Kagome looked down sadly. "Doesn't that mean you're kind of forced to be with me?"

Inuyasha grabbed her chin and made her face him. "I don't feel forced. I love you. Even if you weren't the woman with the eyes, I'd still choose you over her. I would have denied my own destiny for you."

There was that certainty in his eyes again. Kagome could never doubt the trustworthy look he gave her. "I guess that's the best part of destiny," she said with a smile "you don't have to wonder, decide, or change your mind. It's written in stone and it's okay. My life felt empty before we got together. All this time I was wondering what was missing. Only to find out it was you."

"Yeah. Who would've known?"

"Apparently this tree did." Kagome replied while pointing.

"But there's something else I don't get." She continued. "This place. This _beautiful _place. Why is it so secluded from the rest of the city? Didn't anyone see you sealed to this tree before they put a wall over there?" She said in a frustrated voice, gesturing her hands vigorously.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I doubt it. I don't think anyone could see me under that seal. Why any asshole would want to close off a place like this is beyond me. But I'm kind of glad it's a private spot. Aren't you?"

Kagome giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. "I suppose you're right. It just bothers me that you had to be alone for so long before we met."

"Doesn't matter now. Whatever I felt before is a distant memory. The only feelings I have are the ones for you. And you were worth the wait."

Kagome smiled as the sun completely disappeared into the lake and a small breeze blew in. Inuyasha pulled her in close as he leaned up against the tree. She was soothed by the sound of his heartbeat beneath his solid chest. The steady beating was lulling her to sleep. She started to remember the first time she fell asleep on Inuyasha's shoulder when she was younger. 'But this time...it's not a dream. And when I wake up, I'll still be in his arms underneath the tree that brought me to the lake.'


End file.
